A Soft Goodbye
by Cocoon02
Summary: One hot day on Pulse, a casual mention of Vanille sends sixteen-year-old Hope into a slight state of confusion. And talking with Serah, Lebreau, and Lightning doesn't help much. But what happens when the young man gets a message from a certain redhead?


**Author's Note:** Once you get to the _italics_, listen to Simple and Clean (musicbox version).

The first part is just the ending to 13. If you don't want to read that, skip to the next line.

P.S. I'm not the best at first person P.O.V. so I apologize if it stinks.

* * *

"They did it. They saved the world."

Light's voice is what confirms it for me. I'm not crystal anymore.

"No." Snow says, "They gave us a new one."

She turns to see the rest of us, not sleeping in crystal stasis, but just as alive as she is.

"That's one gift I'll forgive 'em for not wrapping." Sazh says, staring up at our old home.

"Ha, yeah..." I chuckle.

"_This is as much as we can do. The rest, is up to you."_

Vanille...

"Does this mean we... completed our Focus?" I ask.

"Cocoon's seen better days, that's for sure." Snow replies.

"Yeah. I'd say that qualifies as a demolition, Focus complete." Sazh agrees.

"_Huh. Whatever you wanna believe."_

"Tsk. It really is a miracle." Wait, is Light actually smiling?

I decide to confirm it, if our Focus is done. I pull back the band on my arm to see the bare flesh beneath it. It's true. We did it! "My brand, it's gone!" I tell the others.

They immediately check theirs. We start laughing for joy. We did it. It's done.

_"It's easy to lose sight of things is a world as wide as this one. But if you keep going, you're sure to find what you're looking for. Sooner or later."_

Snow starts gawking at something in the distance. I look too, to try to see what he sees. People.

"What?" Lightning sees them too.

"A whole big bunch of chocobos!" One of them says. The bird in Sazh's hair gets really excited. She flies out toward them.

"Hey, look there." That girl looks like...

The two start running to us. "Serah!" Snow says happily.

"It is." Light looks relieved.

Sazh runs toward the little boy. His son. "Dajh!"

"Daddy!"

"Snow!"

"Serah!" He picks her up and twirls her around.

Wait. Serah and Dajh were crystal before. If they came back... That must mean... A surge of hope shoots through me and my legs carry me forward. My eyes search the horizon for the familiar figure of the girl who had quickly become my... well, I don't know. I get confused when I think about her.

And I don't see her.

I bow my head, the high of hope gone. "They're gone aren't they?"

Light puts her arm around my shoulders, "Hey." she says softly.

I slowly look up at our old home, where Vanille and Fang slept. "I guess they meant for this to be goodbye. Then again, we've changed out fates before."

"Come, on!" I hear Serah say. She drags Snow over to me and Light, and traps her sister in a hug, "I missed you!"

"Serah," Light says, "I'm sorry."

Serah pulls away a little, "It's okay."

Snow pulls her back even farther, "Hey, hey, hey! The apologies can wait! We've got a wedding to plan!" He places a hand on Light's shoulder, "You are gonna allow it, right?"

"You don't waste any time, do ya?" I have to admit, Snow still isn't one of my top 10 favorite people, but I'm happy for him.

"Nooo, I don't." He replies.

"That's right, charge in, guns blazing!" Sazh laughs. So do the rest of us.

"I swear to you," Snow tells Lightning, "I _will_ make her happy."

"I believe you. Congrats."

* * *

It's been two years. Life is pretty good, I guess. It's definitely a lot different from what my life used to be like. It's more... chaotic. I don't live in a rut anymore, which I like most of the time. But other times... other times I wish I could wake up and know that the day would be the same as yesterday, I wish I could know that things are gonna be okay. Not that I ever knew that for sure, but I've been a lot less sure of that every day since I became a l'Cie.

But no matter what, I wouldn't change what happened, not for the world. Sure, there are a few things that I wish hadn't happened, like Mom... This whole thing, I think, changed my friends and me for the better. Light isn't so cold anymore. According to Dajh, Sazh is happier than he used to be. Snow... well, I'm pretty sure all he learned is that he _really_ needs to listen to Lightning. And me... I'm not entirely sure.

I think about this as I take a break from helping Snow. He and his friends are rebuilding Bodhum down here on Pulse, as best they can, anyway. I'm out here helping them most days, Dad is part of the group that is rebuilding the government, so he's busy most of the time. But that's alright with me, it's different from before. He doesn't _want_ to work like he does, he was kinda drafted.

I run my hands through my hair, which is practically dripping with sweat. Unlike Cocoon, Pulse's temperatures aren't controled by fal'Cie, but by, I don't know, Mother Nature or something. When it gets hot here, it gets _hot._

"Hey, kid." Snow plops down next to me, "You okay?"

"Yeah. It's just so _hot_."

Snow laughs, "Well, at least you and Maqui have been working over here in the shade. I've been-" he points to where he was working, "-over there all day."

I remove my gloves and wipe my sweaty hands off on my pants, "Yeah, over there, by the _ocean._ I'm sure the spray is just boiling hot."

"Direct sunlight, my friend." He glances up at Cocoon and says jokingly, "Man, how did Fang and Vanille stand it down here?"

His comment makes my heart hurt. "They were born here, probably got used to it pretty quick."

There must have been something in my voice, because Snow puts his hand on my shoulder and says, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Snow, I'm fine."

I don't think he believes me. "Come on, let's go up to the house and get a drink."

"Okay."

The look on his face makes me think he's got something planned, though I have no clue as to what that could be. Snow leads the way, greeting everyone we pass. I just kinda... follow. As we approach the house, I see Serah talking to Yuj. Snow does too, and calls out, "Hey, guys!"

"Hey!" Serah and Yuj say simultaniously. Yuj then turns to Serah, "Well, see ya later then." He waves at us, and leaves.

"So, what're you two up to?" Serah asks us.

"Ah, we were just heading inside for a drink." Snow gives me a glance, which again, leaves me questioning his motives. He looks back at Serah, "Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Of course."

"Cool. Hope, you go on ahead, I'll be in in a minute."

"Alright." I seriously think Snow is up to something. I don't know why. Just... something about the look on his face. That's the look a friend of mine used to get before he did something that got the both of us in trouble. I go up into NORA house anyway.

Lebreau looks up when she hears me walk in, "Hey, kid, what'cha need?"

I have no idea. To be honest, I'm not even really sure why I'm here. I just followed Snow. "Uh, just some water."

"Coming up." She dissappears for a few seconds, and comes back with a glass. "Here you go." She sets it on the counter.

"Thanks." I take the water gratefully. It feels good after being out in that hot Pulsian air all day. Before I know it, the whole glass is gone.

Lebreau laughs, "Someone's thirsty!"

My cheeks burn. I'm hoping they were already red from the heat. "Well, I've been out all day."

"You can say that again. This is the first time I've seen you all day, and it's already four."

I shrug, "There's work to do."

"Yeah. We were almost done building this place, then that storm..." She leans against the counter, "Were you here for this one? Or was it the last one?"

"Both."

"That's right." She looks up, "Oh, hi Serah."

I turn around, she's alone. "Where's Snow?"

"Claire needed him for something." She looks at Lebreau. But it's not just a look, it's one of those looks that girls use to communicate. Now I'm scared.

"What'd she need him for?" Lebreau keeps looking between Serah and me.

"She didn't say. You know her, she just dragged him away." Serah shrugs. She sits on a stool, looks at me, "So, Hope, how've you been?"

"Serah, I see you every day."

"Yeah, but we don't talk."

"Something's gotta be going on, it's been hot as hell lately, and I've seen you maybe three times this week."

A wave of hot anxiety hits me. So that's their tack, interrogation. "Nothing special, and me and Maqui have been working in the shade, Lebreau."

"Yeah, but he's in here about twelve times a day. You on the other hand..."

"You know him, guy can't handle heat. Or cold, or pain-"

"Alright, you got me there."

Serah plays with a bracelet, "So, nothing's going on?"

I sigh, they suck at this. "Guys, can you get to the point?"

They give each other another look. "Alright," Serah says, "Snow said that he mentioned Vanille, and that you sounded sad after that. We're just wondering if you're okay."

Another hot wave hits me, but this time it's not anxiety. Am I okay? "I guess... I just... miss her."

"Yeah. Lightning said you two were close..."

She doesn't know the half of it. "I think she was the only one that didn't hate me at one time or another."

"Aw, come on, how could anyone hate you?" Lebreau pinches my cheek playfully, "You're just so cute."*

I give a little chuckle. "I know Light did, at least at first."

"She hated all of you."

"Who hated what?" We turn to the door, and see Light.

"You hated us."

"What? When?"

"You know... then."

"Oh..." she walks over to us, "No, I never hated you, just Snow."

"I think we all hated him." Serah flashes me a look and I cringe, "No offense..."

Light cocks her head, "Well, Vanille didn't. But yeah, otherwise..."

Vanille... It hits me again, but this time it's worse. I turn away from the others. I do miss her. But it's more than that. I... I...

Light touches my shoulder, "Hope?"

I wrench away from her, "Leave me alone." I practically storm out, and I hear Lightning behind me, "Did I say something?"

* * *

_I wake up on the beach. It _looks_ like the one at New Bodhum, but there's no landmarks, so I can't tell. As I stand, I notice that I'm in the clothes I wore... then. But that doesn't bother me as much as the fact that I don't know what's going on._

_"Where am I?" I say aloud._

_"Does it really matter where you are?"_

_I freeze. I know that voice, that accent. I look down, and there she is, sitting right next to me, staring out at the ocean. I slowly sit down next to her, never once taking my eyes off her. She looks at me and flashes her beautiful smile. I smile too, but it probably looks more like a grimace. She laughs. I miss that sound..._

_"Vanille, where am I?"_

_"This is a dream, silly. Don't you remember falling asleep?"_

_"No."_

_She laughs again, "You nearly worked yourself to death after storming out of NORA house, Snow found you asleep where you were working, and carried you inside."_

_I shake my head, "I don't remember anything after leaving the house. Wait... how do you know all that?"_

_"I can see you sometimes, you and the others." She draws little designs in the sand, like the ones we saw in Oerba. I watch her fingers do their intricate dance in the sand, until a rogue wave soaks us, and washes away her drawing. _

_"Oh, shoot!" She pouts for a moment._

_"Vanille... why am I here?" I'm not complaining, seeing her again... even if it's only a dream..._

_"You and your questions!" She sighs, "But I'll be honest, I brought you here."_

_"Why?"_

_"I wanted to tell you, in person. Well, sort of..." She looks me in the eye. I lose myself in her emerald eyes and almost miss what she says, "I don't think I can come back this time."_

_I blink myself out of my trance, "Wait, what?"_

_"It's different this time! Fang and I have a job to do."_

_"You mean Cocoon? It's being held up by a big, thick, _tower_ of crystal. Don't you think it can support itself?"_

_"You don't understand!" _

_"Then explain it to me!"_

_Tears begin to form in her eyes, "I shouldn't have done this..."_

_A wave of guilt soaks me almost as much as the ocean wave, "Vanille, I'm sorry."_

_"No, it's okay. I just wish-" She suddenly looks up at the sky, "I have to go..."_

_"What! No, Vanille!"_

_She looks back at me and grabs my hand. "I'll always miss you Hope." She slowly begins to dissappear._

_"No! Please!"_

_She gives me a sad smile as she becomes more and more transparent. Hot tears slip down my cheeks, "Vanille..." I know she's gone when I can't feel her hand anymore._

_The rest of the world begins to dissappear too. I'm waking up. I don't fight it._

_The last thing I hear is a soft, "Goodbye."_

* * *

***Ok, this is like my favorite line, ever.**

**This was a bit more casual than I usually write, but what'd you think?**


End file.
